The Marshall Project: The Language Project
Reporters and editors have long believed that terms such as “inmate,” “felon” and “offender” are clear, succinct and neutral. But a vocal segment of people affected by the criminal justice system argue that these words — and any other words that define human beings by their crimes and punishments — are dehumanizing.
The Language Project serves three purposes. First, through a series of powerful pieces by and about people with intimate experience with incarceration, we show the human impact of the words we choose. Second, our guide, “What Words We Use — and Avoid — When Covering People and Incarceration,” makes public our decision to avoid labels such as “inmate,” in favor of language that follows the logic of “person-first” language. Third, we provide alternatives to the labels.
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Only problem is even the Marshall Project still uses “sex offender” even in this article as an example of how to address us.
Derek. What is this Marshall Project some MacGyver tooth pick stunt or hunt. Get real either one was talking to a teenager or they weren’t. Now who is telliong the truth or who is not? Who know’s the thoughts and intent of another. Sure we can all play games but the registry is some medievil torcher in a computer game of chess if you want to call the move…. Checkmate.
I went to Marshall… Oh yes their is a Marshall University and it is named after John Marshall who was cheif Justice of the Supreme Court. So were is Justice today my man. Could it be some gin rummy scheme or a bad poker deal of the cards.
One wonders who was caught in adultrey or who was casting the first stone. Sure who was harassing who or who was actually talking to a teenager. My dad didn’t teach me to play with fire but we all have to defend something. Life is not a game of cards where the deck is stacked against the enemy or who is the enemy or the devil in blue jeans today. that carries a tin badge. Where is justice in the courtroom today?
They say talk is cheap but true justice is standing up for the right thing for many. One for all and all for one.
I hope that the registered citizens in Florida…and for that matter around the country…realize just how fortunate they are to have such an organization as Florida Action Committee to speak up for and represent one of the most suppressed groups of citizens in the United States.
FAC is already ahead of the game. When they told me to not refer to myself as a sex offender, but as a registered citizen, I did that. And now I use that term when discussing my status, and it makes a huge difference in how I see myself. I know deep down who I am today, but using the correct language reinforces it. And it takes the power of the negative terms away from those who oppose us.
Not taking away from FAC because they are a great organization, but I’ve been trying to stop people from saying “sex offender” since 1999. Actually 1999. I didn’t try extremely hard, or I’d like to think I’d have gotten better results!
I was one of the first people saying “Registered Citizen” but I’ve really come to dislike that term. It just sounds way, way too legitimate and legal. Maybe “Registered Partial Citizen” or “Registered 3/5ths Citizen” would be okay.
Personally, I’m a “Person Forced to Register”. Nothing else.
Related to that, if people keep saying “PFR” over and over and over again, and nothing else, eventually most people will stop saying “sex offender”. The only people still saying it will be the few thousand knuckle draggers left. Those “people” aren’t fixable.
Women Against Registry is in the midst of a 12-month moratorium against derogatory words. Why? Because legislators are puppets-on-a-string. A representative here in Missouri who is a doctor by profession told me that he wanted to do the right thing but many of the legislators depend on that income as that is their only income and they have nothing to fall back on. They are puppets because they react to public opinion. This is not our concept but came out of the Americal Psychological Association in 2018. So if you begin speaking in different terms and don’t say things that activate the reptilian brain it will begin to make a difference.
Hi Vicki. Totally agree. We should add that civilly committed persons should be called something else. I favor “detainees”. I especially object to Kansas “sexually violent predators” which quite destructive
Those in civil commitment should be called “prisoners” or “inmates.” That is exactly what they are. They were sent there by a judge and/or jury. The only differences between them and prisoners are that they were not charged with a new crime and their sentence is indefinite (by design).